The Chess Drum
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Kofi Tatum’s “Snapping Pieces” in Los Angeles
Each city has its chess history. There are even genres within chess history. One of the most captivating (and overlooked) aspects of its history is street chess. Out of this community comes the life and dreams of every chess player to make a name for his or herself. The venues……
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Beauty of Africa through a Chess Lens
There are many ways to describe the African continent. Some know it as the “Cradle of Civilization” and by others as the “Dark Continent.” Rest assured, this massive landmass has a complicated history, but its complexity may be softened by the sheer diversity and beauty. Each time I travel to…
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2nd Emory Tate Memorial (Chicago, Illinois)
The 2nd Emory Tate Memorial took place at the Lion’s Den Chess and Martial Arts Academy in Chicago on a gorgeous summer day. There was excitement building up for the tournament along with the buzz of the pending match between Daniel X Jones and FM James Canty. Excitement for chess…
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Help send Zambia’s Kennedy Shane to India
GM Pontus Carlsson facing off against Kennedy Shane in Lusaka, Zambia. During Pontus Carlsson’s trip to Zambia, he excitedly told me about an 8- year old player who had held a draw against him in a simul. He said, “The small boy that drew me in the simul is a…
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2nd Emory Tate Memorial in Chicago June 10th!
The Chicago Chess Blitzers community will host the 2nd Emory Tate Memorial on June 10th, 2017 at Daniel Jones’ Lion’s Paw Chess Academy on the city’s south side. Last year’s inaugural event was surprisingly won by Gwayne Lambert. Given the excitement generated from the Chicago Open, the club hopes to…
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Sevian takes 2017 Chicago Open!
A total of 984 players showed up at the 2017 Chicago Open causing the organizers to scramble to arrange proper space. Having been edged out by a wedding, the tournament converted a skittles room into a playing hall and certainly created initial chaos, but the tournament was able to adjust.…
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Review: Active Pieces by IM Jay Bonin
On the plane to Africa reading“Active Pieces: Practical Advice from America’s Most Relentless Tournament Player”by IM Jay Bonin While on my 15-hour flight for a four-country African tour (actually five), I read through Jay Bonin’s Active Pieces: Practical Advice from America’s Most Relentless Tournament Player, a book about his chess…
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DC Girls City Championship
Robin Samson has been running the DC Girls Chess Club for several years and has brought the joys of chess to girls and young women. On April 15th, she hosted the 2017 DC Girls Citywide Tournament with a 1st prize of $1,000. Amanda Loseff of the Alice Deal School won…
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Championship shows changing face of U.S. Chess
The recently-ended 2017 U.S. Championship was quite an exciting affair with Wesley So and Sabina Foisor winning their respective titles. There were quite a number of unexpected results as veterans Alexander Onischuk and Varuzhan Akobian scored some crucial victories to put themselves in position to win the tournament. Akobian lost…
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2017 Africa Tour with IM Makoto
IM Rodwell Makotoaddresses students in Nairobi, Kenya IM Rodwell Makoto is the latest Master to participate in the African Tour sponsored by the Paul Allen Foundation and organized by the Kasparov Chess Foundation and MiniChess Kenya. He follows GM Kenny Solomon who visited Kenya in February. GM Pontus Carlsson and…
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